Course Details

Master of Science in Computing (Applied Cyber Security)

Second Class Honours grade 2 (GPA 2.5 or equivalent) in a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computing (level 8) or graduate diploma or equivalent.

Duration: 2 years (4 Semesters)

NFQ level: 9

Fee: €2,000 per year

Schedule: Tuesday and Thursday 6.00pm
-10.00pm

Award title: Master of Science

Credits for Full Award: 90 @ NFQ Level 9

Awarding Body: ITB

This course is part-funded by Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet under the Training Networks Programme of Skillnets and by member companies. Skillnets is funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Education and Skills. For further information seewww.ictskillnet.ie

Overview

Information Technology is one of Ireland’s most important economic sectors and the Dublin region has a significant concentration of IT multinationals and through its successes in the IT sector, Ireland has built an enviable international reputation as a technology center that is leveraged to attract investment to other sectors.

The Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) have a very successful course leading to the award of a Master of Science in Computing in Applied Cyber Security degree.

The 90 credits NFQ level 9 masters programme will be made up of a taught component and a research project component. The emphasis of the programme is on applied skills with modules designed with the collaboration of industry and academia and where possible, modules will include content from industry certifications.

The Masters in Applied Cyber Security is designed to produce highly knowledgeable and skilled graduates to counter the cyber security threat. This course focuses on developing hands-on skills backed by theoretical knowledge. An essential part of the master’s degree is the creation of a body of work presented as a thesis which demonstrates ability in research methods, analytics and report writing. The graduates of this programme will be independent learners, good problem solvers and experienced researchers.

Students on this MSc in Applied Cyber Security will also have the opportunity to take part in Capture-the Flag competitions and through their course work, engage with real world problems with companies so that graduates from the programme have the necessary skills to make a difference in the work place.

Who Should Apply for the MSc in Computing at ITB?

The courses are suitable for both entrants to a new discipline that require a broader range of taught modules to familiarize themselves with the skills and knowledge of the discipline and for specialist employees who want to up-skill in their specialist areas and require research skills.

MSc in Computing programme is of particular value to holders of a primary degree in computing, IT, or equivalent, working as IT professionals. It is also of value to individuals with a computing degree background who wish to develop their career towards working within a research-oriented environment at a postgraduate level.

Minimum Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for standard entrants to the Master of Science in Computing is 2nd Class Honours Grade 2 (GPA 2.5 or equivalent), in a Bachelor of Science in Computing (level 8) course, or equivalent.

Students progressing through the Higher Diploma in Science in Computing (BN509) who wish to enter the M.Sc. in Computing must attain a 2nd Class Honours Grade 2 (GPA 2.5) on the course.

In the event of a student not attaining this standard level , students must achieve an acceptable standard for progression by other means approved by QQI.

The acceptance of candidates with third class honours degrees and appropriate work experience and industrial certification on this course will be allowed provided there is evidence that the candidate can cope with the learning objectives of the course.

Candidates may be interviewed to assess their suitability to undertake the level of work required and to assess their commitment to succeeding on the Masters Programme.

Career Opportunities

The MSc in Applied Cyber Security will give the skills and knowledge to secure business and personal data and allow graduates to work as security professionals in any of the business and industry sectors.

ITB is also part of Information Security Ireland (ISI) - a central force in the field of Information Security promoting interaction with technology firms, research institutes, academia & government. http://www.infosecurityireland.org/

COURSE CONTENT

Year 1 Semester 1 - Sept 2017 to Dec 2017

Digital Forensics

Secure Communications & Cryptography

Year 1 Semester 2 - Jan 2018 to May 2018

Network Security

Cyber Crime Malware

Year 2 Semester 3 - Sept 2018 to Dec 2018

Business Continuity Management

Research Skills & Ethics

Year 2 Semester 4 - Jan 2019 to May 2019

MSc Research Project

Note: Students must complete 6 modules and a thesis. All Modules are 10 ECTS Credits. The MSc Research Project is 30 ECTS Credits. The order of Module Delivery may differ from the listing above.

An award of ‘Postgraduate Diploma in Science in Computing’ may be granted if learners leave this programme having completed 6 taught modules and attained 60 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.00.

Digital Forensics

Module Aims:

To provide students with the knowledge and skills to perform a digital forensic investigation. Throughout the module, the students will learn about the various different types of digital crime and investigations (private, corporate, and public); the role of an investigator; a methodology for performing a digital forensics investigation; many common open source and commercial tools used for imaging and analysis; low level file system forensics (FAT and NTFS).

Learning Outcomes:

Appraise the fundamental legal considerations when dealing with digital forensics evidence and demonstrate how to apply appropriate measures to maintain evidence integrity.

The purpose of this module is twofold: Firstly, to help the students to acquire an extremely thorough understanding of a globally recognised methodology for implementation and maintenance of Business Continuity Management (BCM) programs. On completion of the course, students should have acquired the skills and understanding to be able to participate in BCM programs and BC projects for an organisation. This module will introduce the essential steps of developing BC and Disaster Recovery (DR) strategies, design and implementation of BC plans, preparing and conducting awareness and training programmes. Students will acquire the essential skills and knowledge of project management, risk analysis and review, Business Impact Analysis (BIA), recovery strategy, plan development, and testing and exercising. Secondly, given the significant penetration of Cloud computing in recent years, this module will help the students gain an awareness of the security threats and best practices for securing the Cloud. The concept of Cloud computing continues to evolve, this module provides students with the latest information on new areas of focus in the changing Cloud security landscape. Amazon AWS will be used as a case study to demonstrate the important role the Cloud will have in the future of business continuity and disaster recovery. For example, students will investigate how S3 and Glacier can be used as backup solutions.

Learning outcomes:

Identify and appraise the risks and their potential impact using appropriate data gathering methods.

Evaluate the benefits of BCM and construct an argument for implementing BCM in an organisation i.e., to obtain 'Executive Buy-in'.

Analyse a business and develop efficient plans for business continuity and disaster recovery to meet business needs.

Design and implement strategies and systems for protecting critical information assets in the Cloud.

Research Skills and Ethics

Module Aims :

Essential skills for engaging in research covering all stages of research from finding a research question to research methodologies, to writing dissertation and publishing.

Learning Outcomes:

Expertly describe the different stages that make up a research project.

Demonstrate how to write a research proposal.

Critical review of data collection methods.

Appraisal of research methodologies.

Demonstrate the different types of dissemination for project reports and results.

Appraisal of ethical approaches in research.

MSc Research Project : 30 Credits:

Independent research project to give learners the experience of developing an individual computing project at postgraduate level. Learners will demonstrate their responsibility for substantial independent working and a full project from problem specification through to implementation and evaluation.

Learning Outcomes:

Investigate various approaches to research enquiry and develop a research proposal.

Write a literature review for selected research questions by reporting on relevant existing research demonstrating appropriate academic citation and referencing.

Demonstrate the purposes and procedures involved in data gathering techniques, data analysis and discussion of results.

Dissemination of results through presentations and research thesis documentation.

How to Apply ?

For further details please contact the marketing team on 01 885 1530 or e-mail: info@itb.ie.

What our students say...

"I have done a few software modules in ITB, so I knew the focus would be different if I came here. The practical experience here really helped me. Until I started doing Software, I was a complete technophobe. I was working as an engineer, but now I do more quality and IT. I work in a very small company, everybody has to do bits of everything, and I learnt a lot here, and it gave me great confidence."